The Scimitar 13 Feb 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A fine good morning to all….

A special weekend for me….I had friends from Natal visiting and spent a magic day at the cricket, followed by a great family day on Sunday…and my weekend disappeared in a flash… (Like they seem to normally do…)

But despite me having the weekend off, our Northerns sportsmen and women were hard at work holding the Club name on high at various sporting activities….

Our Soccer boys were at their best on Saturday, comprehensively beating Kempton 4-0 (who gave us a few headaches last season) in a Top 8 clash…all the spectators that I spoke to were singing their praises…so a great result fellows….keep it up and we should make the semi-final play-offs…the second side also registered a win so they are also well on their way to a play-off place too…. This weekend we are up against Alberton….to both of our sides….give of your best…we’re right behind you…The Second side kicks off at 13h45, with the first side following, with their match starting at 15h30…make sure to join us in supporting them across the road….

Our athletes were hard at work over the weekend too…..with the Midmar Mile attracting plenty of participants from all over the country…we also had some entrants from the North….well done to all who completed…this is a fine achievement….we had some maniacs who participated in two and some even completing three races over the weekend…but special mention must go to Marc Daniel, who has now completed the event 25 years in a row…and to celebrate it this year, he decided to do all 8 races….I have seen his times and they were all massively competitive…between 29 and 37 minutes….well done Marc…we are all very proud of you….

Our other athletes were getting their legs ready, with a Marathon in Bedfordview…I saw lots of photographs and plenty of smiles…so it looked like it was a race enjoyed by all…another 4 months before the Comrades…many kilometres of training still to go guys….

It was great to see our little cricketers playing under lights on Friday night…I love going to watch the boys playing at night…you genuinely get to feel their excitement and enjoyment…it is definitely something we must do more of for the boys…I heard that particular team lost in the last over of that match…but I really think that cricket was the winner…each and every one of the little fellows felt like the professionals they see on television…well done to the parents and coaches who keep all these boys dreams alive….

Being Friday night, also meant it is our official “relax” night at the North…Members and Joker draws, with some raffles and great music to boot…Everyone who was here had a great evening…the Members draw was not won…but neither was the Joker jackpot…much to the relief of all those not present….Judith was only able to find the Ace of Hearts… (Which broke Manny’s heart) but that means we all have another chance next week and the Jackpot has increased to R58 124…. So pop along on Friday for another chance to find the Joker and take home a sizeable chunk of cash…

A bit of a let-down for our Premier league cricketers as their match with Kempton was rained out…so we have no “ole-ole ole-ole” singing able to be done yet this season… we will have to keep focussed and ensure that we win the rest of our games and keep ahead of them on the log…Our ladies started a new event…with their capping ceremony on Saturday….hopefully this will become a time honoured tradition in the future…well done to all the Ladies who received their caps….

My Saturday was filled with the intricacies of international cricket…I was able to experience the wonderful influence AB de Villiers is able to exert on our national team….From being “down and out” and comprehensively outplayed in the first three One Day Internationals, our side showed some excellent resolve, from again looking like a beaten side…I felt a little like I felt on March 12, 2006 (the famous 438 game), when Australia had scored a mammoth 434 and we lost our first wicket within the first two overs…..but hindsight is a wonderful science…and I think the whole country watched the end of that particular game(and if you didn’t watch it live, you have surely watched it again over the years)…this Saturday, that same hollow feeling was in the base of my stomach….a mountain to climb….with our top order already gone (albeit to a revised target figure)…and when Miller was bowled…you could hear the anguished groan from myself and the remaining local crowd….only to be followed a minute later by screams and shrieks of delight as the “big screen” relayed the picture of the bowler over stepping and bowling a no-ball….and suddenly there was a new belief…not just by the players…but you could also feel it building up in the crowd….our local supporters were now suddenly running around brandishing and waving their national flags (much to the irritation of the opposition supporters, while they became decidedly “meek and mild”…and of course with the match inexorably building up to a magnificent crescendo…. while despite losing Miller with 27 still needed at a healthy rate, the belief was there…and as Andile stepped up, scoring a magnificent 23 off just 5 balls….we all now know the result…but I can only say I was honoured to have been able to personally witness the euphoria of that day…I wish that every single cricket supporter is able to “live” an experience like that….

Rugby had their AGM last week, with some cosmetic changes…new additions for some new blood to maintain some fresh thinking, whilst the experienced members able to keep steering and guiding the sub-section to greater heights….Practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays…please pop along to the Club from about 18h00 to join in…